


keep aiming higher

by mangothief (blessings)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Gen, Humor, M/M, but like the ideal politician, eventual cabbage guy, firebender architect reon, there is no war in ba sing se because this is set in 153 ag after the war ended, waterbender politician kai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-01 19:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10928682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blessings/pseuds/mangothief
Summary: Architect Oohira Reon and politician Kai Nobuyuki build something new together in a city that’s all about unity. (An actual building is constructed along the way too.)on hiatus for a minute





	1. ground level

Oohira Reon is _not_ nervous. 

Oohira Reon is a professional. He had done this a hundred times before. His palms were not sweaty. His hands were not shaking. There were no butterflies in his stomach.

Oohira Reon decides he could now confirm that the stereotype about firebenders being cunning tricksters was unequivocally false, as he was unable to convince even himself of a white lie.

His hands were _not shaking right now._

“Your hands are shaking right now,” Semi Eita hisses from his seat to Reon’s right on the stiff, uncomfortable wooden bench in the cavernous hallway outside the council room. They both had identical straight-back postures, caused partly by nerves but mostly by terrible interior design. _Wooden benches are highly flammable,_ Reon thinks idly. _I could say it was an accident. No one would be mad._

“I don’t recall your skin being that pale before, Eita. We only left the Fire Nation a few days ago and you’ve already lost your tan. I hope you’re feeling alright,” Reon replies jovially, a serene smile on his face. Years of preparing for presentations like this one had ingrained in him the habit of concentrating all signs of nervousness into his hands, where he could later hide them by gesturing while he spoke. His expression would remain open and warm, his tone comforting and trustworthy, and no one would know that he was absolutely terrified. 

“If you’re implying that I’m nervous, I’d remind you how perfect your designs, and more importantly, my calculations are,” Semi says in a low tone. His voice softens as he glances at Reon. “Seriously, we’ve done good work. People are going to come all the way from Ba Sing Se to see this building. Your building.”

“Our building,” Reon corrects, tone matching Semi’s as he begins to relax. They both immediately stiffen again as the door to the council room opens, and the two women who had just completed their pitch to the Republic City Council step out, their designs in hand. Reon nods at the pair as they head towards the exit. The small one looks to be on the verge of fainting, while her partner simply nods back with a neutral expression on her face. They’re dressed in Water Tribe blue, and Reon briefly wonders what it’s like transitioning from designing with ice to working with more forgiving materials like stone and metal. 

Reon and Semi fall silent again, the only interruptions coming from harried politicians whispering to their assistants as they pass from one end of City Hall to the next. He closes his eyes for a moment, unable to stop himself from comparing the quiet of the building to the unending noise and bustle of the Fire Nation city he had grown up in. He thinks he prefers the noise.

The creak of the wooden door opening again makes Reon jump as a man also dressed in blue peers out at them. There’s an awkward pause as wide golden eyes flicker between looking at the floor and directly into Reon’s soul before the man says in a low voice, “The Council is ready for you.”

With a trepidatious glance at Semi, Reon stands and follows what must be one of the Council member’s assistants down the center aisle to the curved table where the five representatives sit. The assistant comes to an abrupt halt before the table and Reon barely stops himself from crashing into him. He plays it off by pretending to be closely examining the vaulted ceilings, because architecture is his thing anyways. Semi’s muttered “Are you for real right now?” makes him think he wasn’t as convincing as he could have been. 

Reon reaffirms his vow to strongly reprimand anyone he hears accusing firebenders of being tricksters.

He lets his eyes wander over each Council member as he goes over his talking points one last time in his head, just to be safe. Even though he could describe every detail of every centimeter of their skyscraper, down to the name of the manager of the quarry from which he wants to extract the stones he’ll use in the steps of the lobby. Even though their building is the only thing he sees whenever he closes his eyes. 

Reon continues to smile politely at each Council member, waiting for them to get settled so he and Semi can begin, until he reaches the fourth Council member and does a double take. His attention is actually _stolen_ by one of the Water Tribe representatives, who is alternating between studying the papers in front of him and listening to what the other Council member in blue is saying. Reon’s breath hitches as he finds himself being dragged into his grey-eyed gaze and serene smile, like a ship being pulled towards shore by the tide. 

Oohira Reon is suddenly very nervous.

* * *

Kai Nobuyuki is having a bad day. 

First, he had been forced to wake up early to get to work on time, which, granted, happened every day of the week except weekends, but still. Then he had spilled his coffee on his shirt and had to change because while being a waterbender was useful for a lot of things, stain removal wasn't one of them. If that wasn't enough, his persistent nervousness while driving a Satomobile (he had _just_ gotten his license and the cars were so new they were basically untested, which made _him_ the test driver) had caused him to grip the wheel unflinchingly instead of swerving to avoid an earthbender-created pothole _like every other reasonable driver had,_ giving him a flat tire and a slightly less calm expression than usual. All of this culminated in him being late to the Council meeting anyways and left him wondering why he even bothered waking up early, ever.

The only highlight of his day so far had been when he waterbent as much of the still-boiling coffee out of his shirt as he could and had been able to call himself Kai Nobuyuki, Coffeebender for a brief moment.

After arriving at work late, he had been unable to receive his usual morning update from Yuuki and was distracted for the first half of the meeting, worrying about what could have happened in Republic City or the Southern Water Tribe within the 24 hours since his last update. He was still unable to focus throughout the two presentations given by the architects and engineers selected to represent their nations in designing the city's most ambitious construction project yet. From what he caught, it seemed like the Earth Kingdom representatives, Hanamaki Takahiro and Matsukawa Issei, had pitched a sturdy, thick-walled dome that they hoped would be the United Republic’s biggest sports arena. The Water Tribe team consisting of Yachi Hitoka from the South and Shimizu Kiyoko from the North had proposed a more traditional, sleek apartment building that would appear to be made entirely out of glass, but was actually supported by a complicated metal structure. Its resemblance to the walls of ice back home made his heart twinge.

The criteria for the new construction project had essentially been “design the best building ever,” and while Nobuyuki understood that that had been challenging for the architects, it was also _really hard_ for the people who had to pick the best design.

It was with this mentality that Nobuyuki entered the final presentation, given by the Fire Nation team. He glances down at his notes, checking the names of the presenters. _Semi Eita, engineer. Oohira Reon, architect._ Nobuyuki had seen pictures from old newspapers of some of the buildings they had designed in the Fire Nation capital. They tended to be...tall.

The creak of the door signaled that Kenma was returning with Oohira and Semi. Nobuyuki glances up from his papers to watch their approach. He was always interested in how people handled the long walk up to the Council’s table. Most avoided eye contact by pretending to be interested in the architecture of the room, but for a pair that designed buildings for a living, Semi and Oohira seemed extremely focused on the Council. Nobuyuki was impressed - up until Oohira stumbled into Kenma and reacted by pretending to be suddenly engrossed in the ceiling.

Nobuyuki hides his laugh behind his notes. 

“These are the Fire Nation representatives,” Kenma states with little inflection before turning to slouch in the rows of seats facing the Council’s table. He pulls out a pad of paper and a pen, looking at the Council expectantly.

“You’re doing so good, Kenma,” Kuroo, the representative for the Northern Water Tribe, stage-whispers across the room. Kenma scowls and puts his pen down in retaliation.

“Ah, it’s the best presenters of the day! Make the Fire Nation proud with your superior building designs!” Oikawa smiles and waves only the tips of his fingers at Oohira and Semi. They turn from setting up posters with their designs printed on them to look at him, confusion clear on their faces. 

“Before you ask, no, that was not allowed, and Councilman Oikawa is _very_ close to being excluded from voting,” says Misaki, Earth Kingdom representative and Chairwoman of the Council, the seriousness of her warning evident in her tone. Oikawa sighs and leans back in his chair, looking like he had an eyelash caught in his eye as he attempts to wink at the Fire Nation team without Misaki seeing. Judging from the long-suffering expression on her face, she had seen but chose to pretend she hadn’t.

“You can start whenever you’re ready,” she tells the team.

Clearing his throat, Oohira begins to walk the Council through his plans for the office building that looks like it will tower over Republic City. Nobuyuki’s eyes widen as he examines the breathtaking design. The building is capped by a gold roof that contrasts with the silver of the metal structure. He can see some of the Fire Nation’s traditional pagoda-style eaves reinterpreted to match Republic City’s more modern aesthetic. Oohira and Semi had done their research. 

Semi takes over the latter half of the presentation, reassuring the council that the building will stand strong despite its dizzying height, and arguing that the office space created by the building will invite more business into the city. Kuroo nods along in agreement, hair flopping in front of his eyes while Misaki maintains an unmoving expression.

“Are there any questions?” Oohira asks once Semi finishes, pride and relief evident in his smile. Oikawa’s hand shoots up immediately.

“This is the tallest building that’s been pitched today. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, this would be taller than any building in Republic City. Taller than any building, anywhere. It seems like an unnecessarily dangerous - and not to mention expensive - undertaking. Wouldn’t it be safer and easier to do what we already know works? Why does it need to be so tall?” Oikawa tilts his head in feigned curiosity, but Nobuyuki recognizes the trap set by the leading question and shakes his head exasperatedly. 

Semi opens his mouth to retort, but he was cut off by Oohira’s response. “Why not?”

There was no answer from the Council, so he continues, brow furrowed in genuine confusion at why they would question the height of the building. “The technology is finally there for us to use. It’s true that we’ve never been able to build anything this tall before today, but that’s not an excuse to not try. It’s the complete opposite, actually." He pauses, making eye contact with each Council member before focusing on Nobuyuki. "If we’re capable of reaching the sky, why not go for it?”

Nobuyuki felt his heartbeat stutter as Oohira rubs the back of his head and smiles abashedly at the quiet aftermath of his impassioned speech. His dark skin flushes as he takes a step back to stand next to Semi, who could barely hide his proud grin. 

Oohira’s eyes exude a warmth that Nobuyuki had never felt in the South Pole. _Oh no._

Oikawa grins, all sharp teeth and sharper gaze. “That’s the only thing I wanted to know. If there are no other questions, I think we can wrap this up.”

Oohira and Semi shake the hands of each of the Council members, Oohira’s gaze not quite meeting Nobuyuki’s. It’s too bad. Nobuyuki was hoping he could find out if his brown eyes were warmer up close. It’s only after Oohira and Semi turn to leave that he realizes they had technically held hands, and he feels his cheeks warm up at the thought. _Oh, no. Nope. Nooooope._

As the pair disappear into the hallway, Nobuyuki catches the small fist bump passed between them and smiles, resting his chin on his hand. Misaki sighs and stretches in her seat, bringing his attention back to the meeting. “We certainly have a lot to talk about.”

Oikawa laughs and waves his hand in the air, as if trying to block Misaki’s exhaustion from reaching him. “Let’s just vote now and go home. My mind's already made up.”

“Your mind was made up before you walked into the room,” Kenma scoffs from his seat, tilting his head down to hide the small grin on his face that suggests too much time spent in meetings listening to Oikawa. Kuroo guffaws unattractively while Oikawa gasps in fake offense. 

“You can’t- you can’t talk to me like that! Kuroo, tell him to stop!” Oikawa points a shaking finger at Kenma, who puts up two fingers in an imitation of Oikawa’s signature pose without looking up from his notes. Kuroo only laughs harder, causing Oikawa to start shrieking, “Assistant fight! I’m going to make my assistant fight your assistant! _Stop laughing,_ you sound like a drowning lion turtle-”

“They were all reaaaaally good presentations, and the designs were so different from each other! I need to hear what you all think before I vote,” Komori Motoya, Air Nation representative, leans his chair back from the table while kicking his legs up, showing off the impeccable balance his air acolyte training had given him. Kai and Misaki nod in agreement, the three Council members' disregard for Kuroo and Oikawa’s antics almost instinctual at this point.

Oikawa stops pretending to lightning bend at Kuroo and sighs dramatically. “Well, it depends on what we think Republic City needs right now. Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s plans for a sports arena will bring a lot of revenue to the city, while Shimizu and Yachi’s apartment building can be advertised as a place for rich investors and socialites to live-” Misaki raises one eyebrow- “or anyone, really, who knows how much rent will cost by the time it’s finished!”

“The Fire Nation team’s building seemed almost...symbolic,” Kai says, thinking back to Oohira’s defense of its height.

Komori brings his chair legs back down to the ground in a crash. “Yeah! It sends a message. But, I don’t know if a message will bring profits to the city?”

“Given...the current situation, I want to point out that the success of this project means more than just increased tourism or revenue for the city,” Kuroo speaks slowly and quietly, considering the weight of his words before he said them. The mood in the room turns serious as Kenma pauses in his note-taking to peer up at Kuroo through his hair before glancing back down. 

Komori was nodding vigorously in agreement. “We don’t know when the next Avatar will be found, the Fire Lord is stepping down, the Metalbending Police Chief is MIA." He counts off each loss to the city on three fingers. "There’s very few people left to speak on behalf of what they’ve built here. If the three most prominent voices for unity are now silent, will people still believe that this- this _experiment_ is worthwhile?”

The Council falls silent, the only sound being Kenma’s pen scratching at his paper. 

“What do you think, Kai?” Misaki turns her gaze on him.

Considering that the only thing he had been thinking when Oohira was presenting was “ _that firebender is really_...hot” and he was still shocked that his brain was capable of betraying him like that, he felt unprepared to offer an opinion on who should get the right to design the building. He was also pretty sure he had suddenly developed a strong bias towards the Fire Nation team. 

“I think Kai is on my side this time,” Oikawa says mischievously, his intensely focused stare zeroed in on Nobuyuki not matching the tone of his words.

Nobuyuki ignores him (as usual) and considers Kuroo and Komori’s words instead. He thinks back to the day he left the South Pole for Republic City, how the village elders had given him the advice to go sightseeing, try new foods, and always be on guard with any Fire Nation citizens he encountered. He remembers how his friends had been torn between the Tribe’s official message of harmony with other nations and their parents’ stories of stolen waterbenders and a lost culture. He remembers the day he had arrived in Republic City and met his first earthbender, then his first firebender, at the age of 26, and how uneventful it was each time.

“We’ve been going about this all wrong,” Nobuyuki says finally. Most of the Council looks confused at his sudden reversal, but Komori catches on with a gasp. He continues, “Pitting the three teams against each other in an unnecessary competition. That’s not what this city is about.”

“So you’re saying, they should-” Kuroo says slowly, starting to understand.

“-work together?” Oikawa finishes, scrunching his nose and looking unsure at the idea. Komori almost vibrates out of his chair with how furiously he’s nodding his head. “I don’t know if that will work. Not that I don’t believe they can overcome their differences, and all that,” Oikawa adds on hastily. “But they all proposed _completely_ different designs.”

“If they can’t work together to do something they love, then this city _is_ doomed,” Kuroo replies, his tone still serious.

Misaki places her hands on the table and the Council goes silent to hear what she has to say. She was the best leader for the group, able to quietly listen for the pauses in conversation that meant a disagreement was approaching and avoid it by proposing her own views at the right moment. 

“Kai is right. Now that the Avatar is gone, people need something to gather around. A symbol,” she says with a smile at Nobuyuki. “My vote is for all three teams. Who agrees?”

Komori’s hand shoots up instantly, while Nobuyuki and Kuroo join him after. Oikawa is slower, still frowning, but eventually he raises his hand in agreement.

“That’s settled then. I’ll send a letter letting the teams know our decision, and Runa will prepare a statement for the press,” Misaki stands from the table. “Make sure you let the nations know what we decided as well.”

“I think Komori should be an advisor on this project, since we didn’t hear from any Air Nation teams,” Kuroo says, rising from his seat and strolling over to Kenma.

“Well, the architects will be using an office in City Hall, and as Council members you’ll all be responsible for conveying the interests of your constituents. But I agree, Komori’s views should have more weight,” Misaki says as she follows Kuroo and Kenma to the exit, Komori nearly floating in glee alongside them. Nobuyuki’s heart speeds up as he gathers his notes, thinking about all the ways he can accidentally bump into Oohira while he’s working.

“Don’t visit the architects _too_ much, Kai!” Oikawa slings an arm around his shoulders as they leave the council room. Flustered, Nobuyuki stumbles over his denial as Oikawa laughs. “I know you’ve _very_ recently developed an interest in architecture, but we can’t have the Water Tribe’s views overrepresented. Before we know it, the building will be a melting heap of ice in the middle of the city!” 

“If you had your way, the building wouldn’t even be a building, it would be a giant statue of yourself,” Nobuyuki grumbles. Oikawa giggles but doesn’t deny anything as he turns towards his office. Nobuyuki heads in the opposite direction, wondering if he would be able to get any work done before the day ends while he was still feeling this distractingly warm.

* * *

If asked about their opinions of Reon, his friends back in the Fire Nation capital would all have similar things to say. He was responsible and trustworthy. Levelheaded and cool in multiple situations where actual fire was involved. Most of all, he was patient. No one had ever witnessed him being pushed him over the edge, and people assumed he never would if he was capable of spending _that_ much time with Semi Eita without snapping. Reon would chuckle good-naturedly and agree that while everyone has their boiling point, his was just a little higher than everyone else’s. 

One week of living in Republic City and Reon has maybe, possibly, finally found his limit.

“It’s easy for you guys! You just wave your hands and the building appears!” Semi shouts at the Earth Kingdom team as he demonstrates what Reon assumes is his interpretation of earthbending movements, or perhaps a rendition of a particularly moving scene from the play they watched together before leaving the Fire Nation in which the main character dies.

“Wave our hands? Makki, you should have told me that was all it took, I would have built myself a nice mansion-”

“Oh, so just because we’re from the Earth Kingdom you assumed we’re _earthbenders!_ How do you know I’m not a- an- an airbender!”

“You’re not a bender at all, Makki.”

“Yes, Mattsun, you keep reminding me, but premature graying over here doesn’t know that-”

“There’s also only one airbender. Like, in the entire world. He’s bald and alone on Air Temple Island. Really, your example was flawed from the beginning.”

“You’re right, you’re right, let me start over - oh, so just because we’re from the Earth Kingdom you assumed-”

“ _My point is_ Reon and I have the most experience working with outside construction teams and we should take the lead on this! I’m sure even Shimizu and Yachi spent more time building things by waterbending than interpreting their designs for a team,” Semi scowls at everyone in the room, including Reon. Reon is unsure what he did wrong.

“I’m- I’m just sitting here,” Yachi says, terrified. Shimizu glances up swiftly from her designs.

“I understand that you’re not mature enough to apologize for that, so I’ll just pretend you did. I accept your gracious apology, Semi,” Shimizu says, watching Yachi carefully before refocusing on her sketches.

“What’s this? Did a waterbender just _roast_ a firebender?” Hanamaki leans into Semi’s personal space, grinning and jabbing his ribs. Matsukawa takes a deep breath as he prepares to leap over the table instead of going around it _like a normal person_ to elbow Semi’s other side, while Semi mutters “Oh, I’ll show you roasted.” Reon decides it’s a good time to intervene.

“Okay, that’s it. Time for a break,” Reon stands from the table, trying to casually step away from Semi and the smoke trailing from his mouth. 

“Oohira, it’s been twenty minutes,” Shimizu says, her voice muffled as she rests her forehead on the table.

Reon pretends not to hear her and exits the office.

He sighs at the fact that it had been three days since the separate teams had started working together, and they had only succeeded in scorching a table (somehow Hanamaki’s fault) and accidentally soaking what little notes they had in water until they were illegible. (That incident had technically been Semi’s fault since he scared Yachi and she had pulled water from the fish tank in the room to defend herself. Hanamaki and Matsukawa had then wasted more time holding a funeral for the sole fish that hadn’t survived, which they named Her Royal Highness Princess Yue Junior, or Princess Yuenior for short.) 

Oohira had been genuinely excited at the prospect of learning more about different nations’ approaches to architecture when he and Semi had received a letter from the Chairwoman informing them of the Council’s decision. Semi had grumbled (“why can’t politicians ever just make up their minds”), but ultimately agreed, and Oohira had woken up optimistic on his first day of work. However, that optimism had started to dim from the moment he walked into their office in City Hall and heard Matsukawa ask Shimizu, “But where in this apartment building are we going to put the pro-bending stadium?”

He turns down another hallway, intending to find his way out of City Hall and get some fresh air or maybe get on a ship and go home, he hadn't planned that far ahead yet - only to walk right into Kai.

“I heard yelling, so I brought pastries.” Kai says with a soft smile, lifting up the plate he was carrying. Reon briefly imagines what Kai’s reaction would look like if he were to collapse against the wall, clutching his chest like he wants to.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Reon chuckles, tugging at his hair. He glances back hesitantly towards the office, almost afraid he’ll see smoke coming out of it. “It doesn’t seem like we have that much in common.”

 _“What?_ You mean not all architects are the same?” Kai teases with exaggerated surprise, his grey eyes crinkling with laughter. Again, Reon resists the urge to use the wall as support. 

"Um, we haven't officially met yet. I mean, we did meet, and it was really super official- but what I'm trying to say is- hi," Reon finishes awkwardly, seriously considering turning right around and facing Semi and the Earth Kingdom team instead of continuing to embarrass himself.

"Hi."

"I'm Oohira Reon."

"Kai Nobuyuki. Nice to meet you, Oohira."

"Nice to meet you, Kai."

They grin at each other for another beat before Kai's smile turns to an expression of concern. “Is there anything in particular that’s preventing the team from working together? Maybe I could help. Compromise is basically my job description.”

Reon hesitates before answering, “It’s going to take more than a few days to get comfortable with each other, I guess. It’s just that it’s difficult to visualize a concrete representation of harmony between the four nations while being unable to demonstrate it within the team. Not that I’m complaining,” he adds on hastily. “But we all really believe in what the city stands for, and I think we’re scared of letting you down. I mean, letting the Council and the city down. As a whole. All of them, not one specific...entity.” Reon rubs the back of his head embarrassedly before admitting, “We don’t even know what _type_ of building it’s going to be yet.”

“Don’t worry about falling behind. You can have all the time you need. It’s more important to have a design that stands as a message of harmony than it is to have just another apartment building,” Kai says earnestly, before adding on, “I can’t emphasize enough how there’s no need to rush. Really. Take your time. Unless you have to get back to the Fire Nation soon...?”

Reon takes in what seems to be an almost hopeful expression. “No,” he says. “There’s no rush.”

Reon is sure Kai’s answering smile could serve as the inspiration for a city’s worth of buildings. An entire _country’s_ worth of buildings.

“So...what about you? What are you working on?” Reon clasps his hands behind his back, then swings them to the front, then plants them on his hips before his brain catches up with them and he freezes.

“Oh, the usual. Right now, the Council is working on a policy that will strengthen the safety regulations on pro-bending. There’s also reports of anti-unity unrest in the downtown area that we have to address, and I have to send a letter to the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe about the plans for his visit next month...” He trails off, sighing deeply but revealing his excitement for his work in his eyes. “Well, that’s all boring political stuff you probably don’t want to hear about.”

“No,” Reon assures him hurriedly. “No, I want to hear about it.”

Kai blinks in surprise, so Reon tacks on, “You obviously care a lot. It’s not boring when you’re talking about it.”

“Oh. That’s, uh. That’s really good. Nice. Um, I’m going to. Office? But I’ll see you around,” Kai says, his face flushing as he backed away while shoving the pastries at Reon. He laughs in response and Kai almost stumbles before aggressively speed walking down the hallway. 

Reon allows himself to lean against the wall briefly, only clutching at his chest a little bit, before heading in the opposite direction. He returns to the office with a faint smile on his face, stopping in the doorway as he takes in the nightmare come to life that is Semi, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki all smirking at him. 

Reon is not okay with being the cause of this sudden alliance.

“Who would win in a fight between an earthbender and a firebender?” he asks, and exits the office again as chaos takes over, bringing two pastries with him. 

_We can stand to take this slow,_ Reon thinks as he munches on his bread. _I wouldn’t mind sticking around Republic City for a while longer._


	2. hittin' on all sixes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > “For the last time,” Semi says, head in his hands. “Lightning bending isn’t cheating.”
>> 
>> Matsukawa and Hanamaki let out identical hums of dissent. 
>> 
>> “Sorry to be the one to tell you this, buddy, but it kinda is,” Hanamaki says.
>> 
>> “Lightning isn’t fire,” Matsukawa adds on. “You see me striking a match and getting lightning out of it?”
>> 
>> “We’re prepared to demonstrate,” Hanamaki says as he pulls a match from his pocket.
>> 
>> “So am I,” Semi growls. 
> 
> Or, a new team is formed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [chapter title song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CssgXbpqHb8)

“For the last time,” Semi says, head in his hands. “Lightning bending isn’t _cheating.”_

Matsukawa and Hanamaki let out identical hums of dissent. 

“Sorry to be the one to tell you this, buddy, but it kinda is,” Hanamaki says.

“Lightning isn’t fire,” Matsukawa adds on. “You see me striking a match and getting lightning out of it?”

“We’re prepared to demonstrate,” Hanamaki says as he pulls a match from his pocket.

“So am I,” Semi growls. 

Reon snaps back to attention when he senses that yet another table is about to be reduced to charcoal, returning from the pleasant daydream involving him - and nobody else - working on the building and finishing in record time. All by himself. Alone. With no other architects or engineers to argue about whether lightning bending was cheating, or how bloodbending could revolutionize modern medicine if we didn’t outlaw it, or how Councilman Kuroo’s hair looked like _that_ because a lightning bender zapped him when he was a kid, or whatever other ridiculous theories the Earth Kingdom duo proposed as a distraction. 

It had been one week since they had started working in one of the spare rooms in City Hall, and they had nothing to show for it except for a bunch of crumpled up sketches spilling out of the office trash can and a pile of charred wood that was previously a table. 

Reon looks to Shimizu imploringly. “It’s your turn,” he whispers.

“I ended the last one,” she hisses back. 

Reon shakes his head. “No way, nope, that was definitely me. It was the argument about who would win in a fight between one trillion lion turtles and the sun.”

“And I took care of the one after that. They were arguing about whether Fire Lord Zuko’s scar was on the right or the left. You weren’t in the room because you said you had to go let off some steam, remember?” 

Reon does remember. He had fired a couple blasts of fire into Yue Bay, releasing a lot of steam.

He sighs in acquiescence. Shimizu returns to sketching a skyscraper, adding little flames pouring out of the windows. Yachi scoots her chair as far from the table as it can go without leaving the room.

Reon kicks at Semi’s legs, knocking him off balance before he can “teach these blockheads how lightning bending works,” and yanks Hanamaki’s match out of his hands to dunk into the fish tank. 

“No, don’t hurt Koi-tara!” Hanamaki gasps. 

“That one’s Sok-koi,” Semi says from his place on the ground. 

“Oh, right. Sok-koi, no!”

“I’m not going to hurt the fish!” Reon says, leaning away from the tank as the water began to churn. Yachi was preparing to defend the fish, albeit very nervously. Reon extinguishes the match with his fingers. He’s partial to Taang anyways.

He turns to face the group and groans in exasperation when he sees Semi already standing again, his arm reared back, charging up to throw a blast of fire at the small boulder Matsukawa is hovering over his head. 

“Semi. Let’s take a break,” he says. 

“No way, I’ve got him on the ropes,” Semi replies. 

Reon looks around the room for a sign that anyone else is going to intervene, but only finds complete denial of the existence of a fight. Apparently, he would have to deal with it himself.

He marches over to Semi and loops an arm around his neck in a way that looks more friendly than it feels. “I’ve got something I want to show you. Very, very far away from here.”

“Yeah, you better run,” Hanamaki calls after them as the office door slams shut. Reon tightens his grip to prevent Semi from turning back, but also slows his pace. He wasn’t _running._

He hauls Semi out of City Hall, yanking him to a stop behind one of the stone pillars supporting the gilded overhang on the front of the building. Semi avoids his stern gaze defiantly, but Reon refuses to back down.

“What is with you this week?” Reon asks.

“Nothing!”

“Yes, there is something. You’ve never acted like this on a job before. You’re causing problems instead of stopping them. We haven’t gotten any work done in days, and for some reason you don’t seem to care.”

Semi huffs an exasperated breath and turns to face the courtyard, his back to Reon. Reon reaches forward hesitantly, before clasping a hand on his shoulder. Semi stills.

“Eita. Talk to me.”

Semi faces Reon again, leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed.

“You know I’m not used to working with others,” he grits out, staring at his feet.

Reon raises an unimpressed brow. “We’ve been working together for four years?”

“It’s different when you’re on the same page as your partner,” Semi says, a small smile breaking up the harsh lines on his face.

Reon’s stance softens. He uncrosses his arms and watches a flock of lizard crows hop across the courtyard, waiting for him to continue.

Semi takes a deep breath. “Look, I know they’re good. Probably the best in the Earth Kingdom. But I can’t work with them. I don’t understand where they’re coming from when they suggest anything.” He lowers his voice so Reon has to lean forward to hear him. “They don’t like me either. We might be too different, after all.”

Reon hums in thought. Semi glances up at him, waiting for a response.

“Remember that exchange student in our architecture program back in university? The waterbender from Republic City,” Reon asks suddenly.

Semi blinks, surprised at the change of topic. “Yeah, Shirabu.”

“You used to look like you wanted to vomit whenever someone said his name,” Reon says, laughing at the memory of Semi’s expression when he had walked into a class during the first day of a new semester and saw Shirabu sitting in the front row -- immediately after proclaiming how relieved he was he wouldn’t have to share any more classes with him. Semi joins in, thinking back to late nights spent ranting to Reon about the bratty engineer he was always paired up with on assignments.

“How did you get over that with him?” Reon asks.

Semi thinks for a moment. “I think I stopped hating him when we were seated together at a banquet for engineering students. We disagreed about work stuff but agreed that the food was _awful,_ and that got us talking about other things- wait, where are you going?”

Reon turns to walk backwards towards the entrance of City Hall. “I have an idea. I’ll meet you back at the office.”

* * *

Reon raises a hand to knock on the door in front of him, then hesitates and lowers it, turning to pace back and forth down the hallway. He stops before the door, raising his hand - and then lowering it again. 

Reon hoped no one was watching from their office. He had been doing this for a longer amount of time than was easily explainable. 

If he wanted the team to get along, he would need help, and Kai was the only Council member who had offered assistance for this exact situation. There was just the slight issue that Reon was _possibly_ developing a (very, very small, nearly insignificant, extremely tiny) crush on him. 

The only highlight of this past week had been when Kai stopped by the office to check on their work. The other Council members stopped by as well, but. They weren’t _Kai._

Kai, who always brought snacks or words of encouragement. Who would stay late at work until he was sure he had helped everyone he could in one day, before showing up early the next morning to start again. Who could talk for _hours_ about his plans for the city - if he weren’t so busy putting them into action.

Honestly, it was a miracle Reon had made it to his office.

He steels himself, squaring his shoulders and facing the door. He raises his fist to knock for the last time - but meets nothing but air as the door swings open.

“Oh! Hey, I was just about to check on you all,” Kai says, looking pleased to see him. Reon tries not to overthink it.

He recovers from his surprise and gives an awkward laugh. “Actually, it’s probably safer to avoid the office for now.”

With a knowing smile, Kai steps back from the door, inviting Reon in. “Want to talk about it?”

Reon steps past him into the office and his eyes widen as he takes in the gray stone floors and silver walls. The windows along one side of the room offer a view of the sun setting over Republic City, capturing the moment when the golden lights of the skyscrapers begin to flicker on against a backdrop of pink receding into purple. But even the beauty of the city preparing for night can’t hold Reon’s focus for long - not with the actual waterfall Kai has as a fourth wall behind his desk drawing him closer. Before he can stop himself, he’s made his way across the office to dip his hands into it, giving a startled laugh at how cold the water is. From this close up, he can see the wall behind the cascading water where two fish are carved into the stone.

“It’s Tui and La,” Kai says softly behind him. “The Moon and Ocean Spirits.”

“It’s incredible,” Reon replies. Kai reaches past him to dip his hand into the water as well.

“This is my favorite part of my office,” Kai says. “I didn’t like how- how _empty_ the room felt with all that stone and glass, so I moved my desk as close to the water as it could get. It reminds me of home.”

They stand together quietly for another moment, letting the water run over their hands. Kai watches the water change shape as he moves his hand through it, and Reon watches Kai. 

Kai pulls away from the waterfall first, his hand as dry as it was before he put it in, and moves towards his desk. “So, what’s this about your office being a safety hazard?”

Reon wipes his hand on his shirt and takes a seat across from him. “I’m afraid we’ve got an angry bender infestation.”

“Sounds serious.”

“It’s very serious. Things keep catching on fire. Rocks are levitating themselves. We need a professional to take a look.”

Kai maintains a straight face for a second more before snorting in laughter. “So, you’re still not getting along.”

“I think the issue is we all came in with the assumption that we would never be friends, and now we’re fulfilling that prediction,” Reon says. “But it’s slowing us down. And work aside, I want to try getting to know them. I don’t believe that we’re as different as we think.”

Kai looks oddly proud. “Spoken like someone who’s lived here his whole life.”

“Well, it’s part of being in Republic City. You never know who you’ll meet.”

“No, you don’t,” Kai says, watching Reon. 

Reon clears his throat. “So, um. Do you have any suggestions?”

“You could ask them to hang out after work,” Kai says. “Get dinner or see a play together.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing...what are some good restaurants in Republic City?”

Kai arches his eyebrows in surprise. “You haven’t gone out yet?”

Reon shakes his head abashedly. He had been so caught up with the lack of progress on the building that he had gone straight to work in the mornings from the apartment he shared with Semi and straight home afterwards. Dinner was usually Flamey-O’s Instant Noodles, which he was not about to say out loud. 

“I know a few places,” Kai says, pulling out a pen and paper. “I could write down the addresses, or show you them in person sometime-”

Reon and Kai both freeze. Before Reon can come up with a response better than a surprisingly high-pitched squeal, the office door swings open. 

“Hey, Kai, do you have the-” Oikawa freezes in the doorway to Kai’s office. “Oh, what’s this? A secret rendezvous? I hope you’re not trying to steal my statue away from me, Kai.”

“I am not building you a statue. Ever,” Reon says seriously. 

“We’re just talking about some team-bonding issues,” Kai says hurriedly, his cheeks oddly flushed. “The architects are having trouble getting anything done because they-”

“-literally keep setting things on fire,” Reon finishes.

Oikawa looks unimpressed. “Is that it? You should have come to me sooner!”

“I didn’t come to you at all,” Reon says.

Oikawa doesn’t seem to hear him. “Getting people to work together is my specialty! Come come come, lead the way to the office. I’ll have them loving each other in no time!”

“That’s...a little more than I wanted,” Reon protests feebly.

Reon glances back at Kai as Oikawa pushes him along. He shoots him a thumbs up, holding back laughter as he follows them out of his office, undoubtedly to watch the carnage unfold when Semi sees Oikawa.

Well, if there’s something that Semi will bond with anyone over, it’s talking about the things that he hates. Maybe Oikawa _can_ get them to work together.

* * *

“This isn’t working out,” Reon announces as he reenters the office.

“Oohira, are you breaking up with us?” Hanamaki asks coyly, spinning in his chair. One look at the expression on Reon’s face has him scooting up to the table and folding his hands. Shimizu carefully tucks her burning building design into her bag as Semi quietly moves away from the wall and closer to the table. Five pairs of eyes turn to Reon expectantly. 

He says nothing, simply stepping away from the door and allowing Oikawa to stick his head into the room, throwing up two fingers and winking at the group. Reon stifles his laugh at the string of curses that leave Semi’s mouth involuntarily. Out of all their usual visitors, Oikawa was the most involved in the design process, if “involved” meant draping oneself over the table where people were working and pointing out the flaws in their drawings and personalities. 

“I haven’t heard that particular phrase since I left Capital City. Thanks, Semi, it really reminds me of home,” Oikawa sways into the room, laying both hands over his heart. Reon doesn’t doubt for a second that he was familiar with that phrase.

“Is this my punishment?” Semi says.

Hanamaki gasps in horror. “I can’t _believe_ you told on us.” 

“Oikawa, are you tormenting the best architects the world has to offer?” Kai asks as he steps into the room behind Oikawa before he can get offended. Reon sends him a grateful smile. “They’re all we have, so try not to scare them off.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Kai. You want a statue built in your honor? Just say the word,” Hanamaki says. Oikawa whimpers in jealousy.

“Yes. That was my plan all along. This project is a cover. Having my own statue is why I’ve gathered you all here,” Kai deadpans as he leans against the doorway. He makes eye contact with Reon and grins. 

“I would vote for you,” Hanamaki says seriously. He eyes Oikawa, who has found Shimizu’s burning building design and proclaimed it his favorite so far. “I wouldn’t vote for him, though.”

“Good thing this isn’t a democracy!” Oikawa says brightly, straightening up and handing Shimizu’s design back to her. She gently smoothes out the wrinkles and lovingly places it back in her bag. “We heard that you're not playing nice with each other, so we came to help. The day is basically over, so we’re going to hang out! As a team!”

Semi eyes the window, estimating the distance to the ground. Realizing he won’t make it, he glares at Reon, horror apparent in his eyes. Reon smirks back.

“Have you all seen the city yet?” Kai asks.

Yachi tilts her head in confusion. “We walk here everyday.”

“Semi and I did research on some of the more popular buildings,” Reon offers. 

“So did Matsukawa and I. Hours of research. So much research,” Hanamaki adds on hurriedly, shooting a glare at Semi. 

“No, he means really seen the city. Meeting the people, trying the hole-in-the-wall restaurants, taking the side streets. You know, the not-touristy stuff,” Oikawa says.

Judging from the sheepish expressions on Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s faces, and the sheer terror at potentially failing at a task on Yachi’s face, Reon guesses that the answer was no for them as well.

Oikawa shakes his head in exaggerated disappointment. “Never fear, tourists! Your favorite public servant knows just the right places to go. You’ll be inspired by the city - and my top-notch tour guide skills - and most importantly, it will be a great team-bonding opportunity, too!”

“Oikawa, you moved here two years ago. You’re not qualified to be a guide for anything,” Kai frowns. 

Oikawa splutters a denial. “If I moved here two years ago, would I take _everyone_ here to tonight’s pro-bending match?”

Kai’s response that “yes, that is the most tourist-y thing in the city” is drowned out by the clatter of Hanamaki and Matsukawa leaping from their chairs and grabbing Oikawa’s hands. 

“How could you possibly get enough tickets for all of us? This is one of the most anticipated matches of the season,” Hanamaki breathes.

“I always get as many seats as I ask for,” Oikawa says, fluffing his hair as best as he can with the two architects hanging off his arms.

“Is it because you’re a Council member? Mattsun, let’s switch careers. I always knew I’d be a great politician,” Hanamaki says. Reon and Semi stiffen in horror. Shimizu spills her water before bending it back into its glass and glancing surreptitiously around the room.

Before Oikawa can answer, Kai snorts in laughter. “We actually only get two tickets for being Council members. Oikawa gets as many tickets as, oh, one of the pro-benders could get.”

“How did he manage that?” Semi scoffs.

“He’s marrying one of them,” Kai says. 

“How did he manage that?” Semi repeats. 

“You’re our new best friend, and we love you,” Matsukawa says, now attempting to get a piggyback ride from Oikawa. Hanamaki is wiping tears from his cheeks. 

Reon attempts to pack up his work for the night but is pulled to the side by Semi. 

“Your big idea was to make us spend _more_ time together? And you even invited another person I can’t stand. My tolerance for annoying people is only up to here, Reon.” He lowers his hand to the floor, narrowing his eyes. “Only. Up to. Here.”

“Oikawa was an accident,” Reon says apologetically. Semi snorts. “But seriously, we should get to know them better. Forced interaction worked for you and Shirabu, so this shouldn’t be any different.”

Semi’s brow furrows in thought. Sensing victory, Reon begins poking his sides. “Come on, we can’t build a symbol of harmony without finding harmony in _ourselves.”_

Semi rolls his eyes, but grabs his bag. “You are so corny.”

Reon ruffles his hair in revenge and dodges his kick. Semi joins him in packing up their designs, and Shimizu and Yachi do the same across the table. 

Back in Capital City when he needed background noise to accompany his work, Reon would turn on the radio and listen to whatever was on at a low volume. This usually meant he caught enough snippets of pro-bending matches to be able to understand that it involved bending, but professionally. He’s mildly excited to finally understand what all the fuss is about. And if it doesn’t meet his expectations, maybe the team will bond over their disappointment. 

Plus, he gets to spend time with Kai outside of work. 

“Come on, we can get dinner and check out some of those places you researched after the match, too,” Kai says, already halfway out the door. “Maybe we can get some of the other Council members to join us.”

* * *

The pro-bending arena is a surprisingly nondescript building at the edge of Republic City’s major port, sandwiched between a fishery and a Cabbage Corp manufacturing plant. The exterior blends in with the ocean-sprayed factories lining the harbor, its only distinguishing feature being the line of pro-bending fans stretching down the boardwalk. 

Hanamaki and Matsukawa pause at the entrance, arms folded. Looking at each other from the corner of their eyes, they say in unison, “Not enough gold.”

Semi huffs in annoyance, muttering something that sounds like the word “tacky” and pushing past them while Reon hangs back to give the others a chance to catch up.

Their group had nearly doubled in size when the remaining Council members, Kozume, and Oikawa’s assistant Yahaba all took up Oikawa’s offer. Apparently, it's two teams with a heated rivalry that are fighting that night, and the entire city is split between them. Hanamaki and Matsukawa pulled hats labeled “Omashu Opposum Bats” seemingly out of nowhere, and Semi started a betting pool on the Gaoling Glowflies winning by a landslide just to spite them - and all three of them had only been living in the city for two weeks.

They had crowded into one overstuffed car on the train to the arena, and even though he wanted the team to get closer, being forced to sit basically on Komori wasn’t what Reon intended. Kuroo explained, unprompted, how the train’s engine worked for the _entire_ ride, and Semi had looked like an air bison had drooled down his shirt when he was forced to sit between Yahaba and Hanamaki. The smirk on Oikawa’s face at his discomfort made Reon suspect he had somehow orchestrated the whole thing. 

Reon admits that he shouldn’t have been surprised that it only took three stops until Semi challenged Oikawa to an Agni Kai and got everyone thrown off the train a mile away from their destination.

Misaki, Yachi, and Shimizu spent the entire walk to the arena pretending not to know their coworkers, but at least they were bonding over something.

Oikawa doesn't seem concerned about the size of (or tension within) their group as he marches up to the front of the line, earning a few disgruntled shouts from those that he passes. He talks with the woman checking tickets for a while, flipping his hair entirely too many times to be casual, until she rolls her eyes and motions for everyone to enter. 

Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s criticisms grow as they make their way to their seats (“that moat doesn’t look very deep, and there aren’t _nearly_ enough shark squids in it”). Reon notices what could potentially be a few safety hazards in the design of the arena’s interior - the ring and the front row of seats are on the same level, separated only by a shallow pit of water and from what he’s heard, a lot of rock shards and blasts of fire are involved.

Oikawa leads the group to a section much closer to the ring than Reon was expecting. Komori darts ahead immediately, bounding across the tops of the seats to claim the center in the top row for himself with a laugh. Yahaba and Oikawa take their seats next to him with a lot less fanfare, Yahaba crossing his arms and focusing on the ring once he’s settled.

“Are you for real right now?” Hanamaki gasps, falling to his knees in front of his unobstructed view. “People have probably actually _died_ for seats this good.”

Oikawa spreads his arms, gesturing to the row of seats grandly. “I promised inspiration, didn’t I?”

Matsukawa pats a sobbing Hanamaki on the head before planting himself in a seat. “That’s it - Oikawa gets the statue. Sorry, Kai.”

 _“Finally,”_ Oikawa breathes in a tone that Reon worries is completely genuine.

“Oh, he is going to keep them around forever,” Kuroo whispers to Kozume and Kai, who nod in agreement, resigned expressions on their faces. Misaki rolls her eyes and gestures to two seats in the top row for Shimizu and Yachi. Whatever they had discussed on the walk over had impressed the Water Tribe architects, if the stars in Yachi’s eyes when she looked at Misaki were anything to go by.

“Save an aisle seat for Kenma!” Kuroo calls out, bumping into Reon’s knees and pushing past Kai. Kozume is pulled along with him, offering an apologetic look to everyone Kuroo leaves in his wake. Kai falls into the seat next to Reon with a huff and he laughs at Kai’s harassed expression. He turns to him with an eyebrow raised before collapsing into laughter himself.

“Wait- why- why are we laughing?” Kai gasps, clutching at his stomach. 

“I just realized - we got thrown off the train and we’re packed together, but I still think this is the longest we’ve gone without someone getting a blast of water to the face,” Reon chuckles. “It might actually be working.”

Semi smiles wryly on his other side.“Such is the power of pro-bending.”

“Really, though - that’s what pro-bending is about! Bringing people together despite their differences! Three different benders, fighting on the same side instead of against each other. It’s what this city was founded on,” Komori says passionately, planting his hands on the back of Semi’s seat and leaning over his head.

“That was beautiful,” Matsukawa says.

“It’s not that deep,” Misaki responds. Reon swears he can hear Shimizu stifle a laugh.

Kuroo claps his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, tourists, quick rundown on the rules - there are three zones for each team. If you get knocked back into a zone, you stay there. If your entire team ends up in the back zones, your opponent can move forward a zone. The team who gains the most zones wins, but if you can push all three of your opponents into the water pit that’s a knockout and the match ends no matter who had the most zones. Got it?”

“So tug-of-war with less rope and more pushing?” Yachi says.

Hanamaki nearly throws himself out of his seat trying to glare at Yachi. “Pro-bending is a sport requiring extraordinary mental acuity and physical prowess, how _dare_ you describe it in that way, I’ll have you know-”

“Shhh. It’s about to begin.” Oikawa’s eyes are glued to the doorway almost hidden in shadows on the left side of the ring. The mood of the audience changes with the intensity of his voice, as the crowd quiets itself to a low murmur. Reon glances at Kai, who only grins in anticipation. 

The lights blink out, leaving the arena in darkness. Reon resists the urge to summon a flame to see, instead grabbing at Kai’s shoulder to anchor himself. 

“You’re in for a treat,” he whispers in his ear as the arena falls completely silent. Hanamaki shushes Reon before he can respond.

A single spotlight flickers on, centered on a blonde woman standing in the middle of the ring. The spectators’ voices rise again, building in momentum until she raises one hand, silencing them. 

“Tonight,” she begins in a low voice. Reon finds himself leaning forward. “Two teams face off in the rematch of the season. One comes from the alleys of Omashu, the other from the skyscrapers of Gaoling.” 

She pauses, giving Yahaba enough time to shock everyone around him when he screams “Saeko, we love you!” Hanamaki and Matsukawa pass some gold coins to him, laughing. He leans back in his seat with a satisfied smirk.

Saeko winks in their direction, before raising her microphone up again. “The teams have left their blood, sweat, and tears on the floors of this very ring - all for your enjoyment! So answer me this - is Republic City ready for the earth to shake?”

The crowd yells affirmatively.

“For the oceans to rise?”

Reon is on the edge of his seat. 

“For comets to rain down on this arena?”

The arena shakes as the spectators stomp their feet. Reon cheers along with them.

Another spotlight beams down on the left side of the ring, where three benders begin their walk to the center. The crowd almost drowns out Saeko’s introduction.

“This team made it all the way to last year’s finals, only to suffer a heartbreaking defeat. Back again for revenge, here are - the Omashu Opposum Bats!” Saeko gestures broadly with one hand to the team, dressed in teal uniforms, their belts and helmets identifying the type of bending they use. 

The firebender _breathes_ a scarlet blast into the air, scowling in response to the crowd’s enthusiastic cheer. The earthbender turns slowly in the center of the ring, looking as if he’s planning on making eye contact with every audience member. As if he’s searching for a specific person.

“Waterbender Kunimi Akira, known for his consistent bending style, is balanced by the Bats’ newest member and firebender Kyoutani Kentarou, whose aggressive bending has resulted in a few penalties - and even more wins. The team is lead by captain Iwaizumi Hajime, an earthbender trusted by his teammates and opponents alike,” Saeko narrates.

“Iwaaaa!” Oikawa jumps up from his seat, screaming and waving his arms. Iwaizumi zeroes in on their group immediately and his stone-faced facade cracks a little upon seeing Oikawa. Hanamaki pretends to swoon at the small smile he sends their way before turning and steeling himself for the entrance of the opposing team. 

“And now, give a warm, Republic City welcome to the defending champs, looking to do it all over again. Introooooducing...the Gaoling Glowflies!” 

A third spotlight shines on three benders in black who approach from the right side of the arena, the bright, silver hair of the firebender striding confidently at the front of the group contrasting with the darkness like a bolt of lightning.

“Hey, hey, hey!” he roars, pumping his fist in the air, and the crowd repeats it back to him. The earthbender gives a small smirk.

“Earthbender Akaashi Keiji is known for grounding his more reckless teammates, waterbender Suzumeda Kaori and firebender Bokuto Koutarou. Captain - and Republic City fan-favorite - Bokuto is hoping to lead the Glowflies to another championship win.”

“Bokutooooo! Go Glowflies!” Kuroo yells. Kozume waves a little flag that says “Bokuto!” on it.

“ _Silence,_ traitor!” Oikawa yells back, while Hanamaki and Matsukawa jeer. 

“Glowflies!” Semi shouts into his cupped hands, and Reon can no longer tell if he’s doing it to make the earthbender duo mad or if he’s been swept up into the crowd’s excitement.

The two captains shake hands, Bokuto laughing at a blank-faced Iwaizumi as their knuckles turn white. They back away from each other to line up in the first zone, falling into crouches as Saeko’s eyes flicker between them.

She grins wolfishly. The crowd, the teams, Reon all hold their breaths. Saeko backs away to the edge of the ring, stepping out of the spotlight and raising her microphone again. “Round one!”

The ring explodes in a cloud of dust and smoke as the first volleys are thrown. As it clears, Reon’s eyes widen at what he sees. 

The six benders are a whirlwind of motion, dodging the attacks of their opponents and returning fire - sometimes literally. Each team moves as one unit - at times surging forward like a wildfire, falling back like a wave, smashing through like an avalanche. 

Bokuto is firing off blasts of fire at lightning speed, aiming for all three Bats and putting them on the defensive. They struggle to apply the same pressure to the Glowflies until Kunimi turns one of his flames to steam with a well-aimed burst of water before it can hit Iwaizumi, giving him the space to fire off a few earth disks at Bokuto. 

They collide in midair with Akaashi’s own disks, sent to defend Bokuto - but leaving Akaashi open to Kyoutani’s blast of fire. He’s pushed back and the buzzer sounds as his foot slides across the line for the second zone, a murderous glare on his face. He’s followed quickly by Bokuto, who had turned to check on him and received an earth disk to the gut for his troubles. 

Suzumeda holds her own, redirecting Kunimi’s blasts of water back at the Bats, while Bokuto and Akaashi begin attacking from the second zone. Their shots of earth and fire feed off of each other - when Bokuto is on the offensive, Akaashi is his defense. When Akaashi sends disks of earth whizzing across the ring, Bokuto aims his fire at the disks that are sent back, pulverizing them into dust.

The Glowflies’ practiced resilience ensures that no one advances further as the timer for the first round runs down, and Kyoutani’s roar of frustration is audible from where Reon is seated. He begins focusing his fire on Suzumeda, fists an orange blur, and her preoccupation with putting out his flames allows Iwaizumi to knock her back into the second zone right as the buzzer sounds, signalling the end of the round.

 _“Mad Dog! Mad Dog! Mad Dog!”_ the crowd roars. Kyoutani doesn’t show any signs of having heard their cheers, standing with his shoulders hunched and heaving in the center of the ring as Iwaizumi claps a hand on his back.

“Nice, Kyoutani!” Yahaba cheers as best as he can with Oikawa and Hanamaki attempting to hug each other over his head. Reon joins in the audience’s chants of his name, impressed by the firebenders on both teams. 

“The Bats take round one! Line up for round two!” Saeko yells over the crowd’s shouts.

Bokuto drags his feet to the center line, seeming droopier than before. Akaashi is whispering something to him hurriedly, an intense expression on his face. Even as the Bats drop into their crouches, his focus never wavers from Bokuto. Suzumeda’s eyes flicker between the team in front of her and her teammates beside her, as Bokuto’s face scrunches up in confusion at Akaashi’s words. 

“Oh, _no,”_ Kuroo groans quietly.

Reon turns to Kai. “What’s going on with the Glowflies?”

Kai smiles ruefully. “Bokuto _may_ have forgotten how to firebend.”

Bokuto holds his hands up to Akaashi, sparks leaping around them. 

Kuroo’s head falls into his hands. _“He only remembers how to lightning bend.”_

Hanamaki’s guffaws are audible over Saeko’s announcement of the beginning of round two.

To his credit, Akaashi doesn’t seem fazed by Bokuto being essentially sidelined, although Reon admits that he doesn’t look like someone who wears their emotions openly. Nevertheless, Akaashi and Suzumeda move into a formation that allows Bokuto to take a step back and dodge attacks, giving the appearance that this had happened before. 

“He needs to hear our support. That’s worked for him in other matches,” Kuroo says, confirming Reon’s suspicions. He cups his hands around his mouth. “Not even an eclipse could stop Bokuto Koutarou!”

Bokuto glances morosely in their direction while doing a flip over Iwaizumi’s earth disks.

“Sick flip!” Kuroo yells. He looks pleadingly at the others. 

Semi and Komori join him, Komori holding Semi’s shoulders for balance as he stands on his seat. Kiyoko doesn’t cheer, but claps along - and it’s fine, because Yachi is doing enough cheering for the group. Even Oikawa shouts Bokuto’s name, short and quick like he was hoping no one would notice.

“Iwa wants to beat him fair and square,” Oikawa sniffs, avoiding Kuroo’s shocked gaze.

“Aw, screw it,” Hanamaki says, standing and clapping as well. Semi elbows him in the ribs, but they’re grinning at each other. The crowd starts to catch on, until the arena is ringing with chants of _Bokuto! Bokuto!_

Akaashi looks as close to relieved as his face will reveal, turning to raise one pointed eyebrow at Bokuto while dodging a stream of water. He’s puffed himself up as much as possible while still avoiding the Bats’ attacks, red sparks dancing just at the tips of his fingers.

“Come on, Bokuto!” Reon and Kai yell together, and the arena lights up orange. 

Bokuto surges to the very edge of the first zone, taking Iwaizumi by surprise and knocking him back a zone with a blast of fire - right as the round ends.

“The Bats have lost a zone! The Glowflies take round two!” Saeko announces.

“Yes!” Kuroo leaps from his seat, pulling Kozume up with him. He waves his “Bokuto!” flag more aggressively.

Semi and Hanamaki grab each other’s arms in excitement, before realizing who they were holding. They glance around to make sure no one saw them.

Reon saw, and he’s not going to let them forget it. He makes eye contact with Matsukawa, who nods in silent agreement to bring this up at every possible opportunity, before Kai’s cheering distracts him. 

“Which team are you rooting for?” Reon asks. He can’t discern any team’s name above the general hollering coming from Kai.

Kai pauses. “I don’t really have a favorite. I just want to see a good match.” He lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Don’t tell the others, they’ll try and get me on their side.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t have a favorite either,” Reon laughs.

“Oh good, we can watch each other’s backs then.”

Reon nods and directs his attention to the center of the stadium, where the two teams are huddling at separate ends. The next round is a tiebreaker, and the tension in the audience is rising as the volume level falls.

Saeko approaches the center for the last time, dragging out the moment. Reon wonders if she’s prolonging the wait on purpose or if he’s been caught up in the excitement, time moving slower for him alone.

She raises one hand up, eyes darting between the two teams. There’s a moment of silence as every person in the audience forgets to breathe.

“Round three!” she brings her hand down and backs away, hardly needing a microphone with how silent the arena has fallen. The instant the first volleys fly, the tension is broken as the crowd urges the teams to hit harder, dodge faster than they had before.

The Bats and Glowflies are at full strength, every blast of fire matched with a surge of water, earth disks knocked out of bounds in an explosion of dust before they can reach their target. Bokuto and Iwaizumi know where the other is at every second, both working their muscles to exhaustion as they use the entire range of the arena, their punches equal in strength as neither can land a hit.

Akaashi’s eyes sweep over the Bats, his movements careful and controlled - too controlled.

“Akaashi’s going to make a move,” Oikawa says suddenly, jumping up from his seat. “Iwa, look out!”

Just as he predicted, Akaashi abruptly speeds up his attacks. Iwaizumi dodges the string of earth disks just in time, kicking his legs out behind him and flattening himself to the ground in a sprawl - but as he pops back up, he takes a blast of water to the ribs from Suzumeda followed by a final earth disk from Akaashi that sends him skidding back a zone. 

Oikawa flinches imperceptibly.

Kyoutani watches with wide eyes as Iwaizumi heaves himself to his feet, wincing, before turning to Akaashi with a snarl, his fists engulfed in flames. Acceptance flickers in his eyes before he raises earth disks to defend himself.

Akaashi doesn’t stand a chance.

Bokuto lets out a strangled yell as Akaashi is pushed back a zone, and then it’s just waterbenders and firebenders at the center of the arena. There’s a brief respite as each bender sizes up their opponents before Kyoutani strikes first, sending several balls of fire at Suzumeda, who puts them out with ease. Iwaizumi and Akaashi do what they can from the back zones, but their exhaustion is visible and their earth disks miss more often than they connect.

It seems as if it will be a standoff until the end of the round - but Bokuto’s speed allows him to send multiple blasts at both Bats, leaving Kunimi unable to stop the blast of fire that sends Kyoutani spinning into the water - and then it’s just Kunimi.

“Oh, no. Oh no no _no,”_ Hanamaki is standing now, gripping his hair.

Semi is standing too, fist raised. “Yes! Glowflies!”

“It’s not over yet!” Oikawa snarls from behind them, and the two recoil slightly. Reon glances back to take in his white-knuckled grip on the armrests of his seat, his gaze fixed on the arena.

Bokuto and Suzumeda advance to the edge of their zone, eyeing Kunimi warily as his gaze flickers between them. Reon watches as their fists pull back, fire and water swirling towards them, and believes he’s about to witness the end of the match as they punch air in unison - and hit nothing but more air. 

“What the _hell-”_ Semi says beside him, and Reon realizes that they’re both standing now.

Kunimi is dodging every attack sent by the panting Glowflies, not a drop of sweat on his face. He spirals his arms quickly and sends consecutive blasts of water towards Suzumeda, who is unable to redirect all of them and loses her balance. One final burst of water sends her rolling back to Akaashi.

Bokuto grits his teeth but doesn’t stop his attacks.

“Yes,” Oikawa hisses with a terrifying expression on his face, every muscle tensed as he watches Kunimi weave around Bokuto’s increasingly slower flames. 

The clock signals that only seconds are left.

Bokuto’s eyes narrow - his feet dig into the ground - and he throws his shoulder forward for one final blast, his fist almost colliding with the ground as he rolls forward. He rests on his knees - there’s no defending a counterattack from his position. It was his last stand.

Kunimi defends with a pulse of water but the sheer force of the flame pushes him back, the buzzer sounding as he disappears into the steam.

As the cloud clears, the two teams focus on the line dividing the first and second zones, Kunimi looking straight down at his own foot, his shoulders trembling.

His heel had crossed the line.

Saeko’s voice echoes around the arena, breaking the silence that had fallen as the crowd erupts into screams of disappointment and joy. “The Gaoling Glowflies have done it! They’ll advance to the next round!” 

“Did you see when Bokuto hit _all three of them_ at the _same time_ -” Semi yells to be heard over the cheers.

“I’ve never seen bending like it-” Matsukawa shouts back.

“And then, when Kunimi came out of _nowhere,_ and he was just like-” Reon attempts to imitate waterbending- “did you see that?”

“I’m not really sure what you’re trying to show me, but I think I know what you’re referring to,” Kai says. Reon bumps their shoulders together in response to his teasing, and Kai bumps him back, laughing until something behind him catches his eye. 

Reon turns to look and hesitates at the sight of Oikawa, shoulders tight and posture tense, his fists balled up on his knees. His hair falls over his eyes as he takes a deep breath, Yahaba glancing over to him in concern.

“Iwaizumi Hajime!”Oikawa yells abruptly, surging up from his seat. Iwaizumi lifts his head to see Oikawa pointing directly at him. Something silent passes between them, before Iwaizumi is kissing the tips of his fingers and holding them up in Oikawa’s direction, a watery smile on his face. He wraps an arm around Kunimi’s shoulder, tears openly falling from his eyes. Kyoutani keeps his head bowed until Iwaizumi pulls him closer as well, and then he’s crying too.

The Bats look up from their huddle in shock as Bokuto crosses the center line to shake their hands, stopping in front of Kunimi to whisper something in his ear. Akaashi and Suzumeda join him, Iwaizumi tugging Akaashi forward and gripping his hand until they’re grinning at each other, Iwaizumi blinking past tears but both looking like they could fight another three rounds. 

Matsukawa and Hanamaki join in the solemn applause of the crowd as the Bats exit the arena, Iwaizumi throwing one last glance in their direction before he’s shrouded by darkness.

“You’re not upset?” Semi asks Matsukawa in genuine curiosity.

“Are you kidding? I’ve wanted to see the Bats fight live for _years,”_ he replies, his voice raised above the ongoing cheers of the crowd. “This is a dream come true.”

Matsukawa notices Semi’s surprise and grins. “Disappointed that you don’t get to see me cry?”

“No, it’s just...not what I expected from you,” Semi replies, returning a small smile.

Matsukawa slings his arm around his neck, letting out a howl at the ceiling. “This is Republic City! Get used to surprises.”

In the center of the arena, Bokuto has both fists raised, trying to pump up the audience. Suzumeda blows kisses to all corners of the arena and Akaashi watches the pair with a small smile on his face.

Yahaba places his hand protectively on Oikawa’s shoulder, but Oikawa shows no signs of cracking, only applauding with a muted fire behind his eyes. Kuroo has slumped over Kozume to hide tears of joy as he pats his head, while Yachi has fallen over the row of seats without ceasing her cheering. The crowd shows no signs of wanting to leave the arena.

Reon glances at Kai, taking in the way the lights of the stadium are reflected in the grey of his eyes, giving them the appearance of something hidden just beneath the surface. Like stones behind a waterfall.

“So, how do you like pro-bending?” Kai asks, and then they’re laughing together again.

Hanamaki stands illuminated by the lights of the arena, arms raised towards the ceiling in gratitude.

“This is the most beautiful day of my life,” Hanamaki says tearfully. “Nothing will ever come close to the perfection of this moment.”

* * *

“I was wrong. I was so wrong. _This_ is the most perfect moment of my life,” Hanamaki says reverently to a baffled Iwaizumi Hajime, seated across the table from him. 

“Uh, thanks man,” he says, trying to raise his noodles to his mouth with Oikawa clinging to his biceps. Hanamaki draws closer, as if to memorize Iwaizumi’s eating technique. 

Nobuyuki shakes his head at the scene and bows his head over his own bowl. 

Kuroo and Kenma had called it a night after the match, taking the train home, but they had quickly been replaced by the exhausted Opossum Bats. Oikawa had proposed a dinner in honor of their performance at the match - going three rounds without a knockout against the Glowflies was unheard of - and Nobuyuki agreed, knowing he was still riding the adrenaline rush from watching the fight and would be unable to sleep.

They ended up in the Little Water Tribe neighborhood after the Bats insisted Kunimi choose what to eat, and Nobuyuki had strongly recommended Narook’s for the architects’ first time trying Republic City seaweed noodles. They were the closest replica of the food he ate when he was home- when he was visiting home. 

He forgets, sometimes, that Republic City is his home now. 

Their group crowded into a corner of the dimly-lit restaurant, falling into separate conversations as the food settled in their stomachs and the energy from the match diffused, shaping the mood into a tired, satisfied kind of quiet. 

“Hey, Crappykawa. Which one of us was in the ring tonight?” Iwaizumi asks a boneless Oikawa, slumped against his shoulder with his eyes closed. One hand is buried in Oikawa’s hair while the other pushes his empty bowl to the side.

“Worrying about Iwa always makes me sleepy,” Oikawa mumbles without looking up. Iwaizumi huffs in amusement and readjusts his posture so Oikawa is more comfortable. Nobuyuki turns from the small smile on Oikawa’s face, feeling like he’s spying, and allows his attention to drift and his eyes to wander around the restaurant. 

It had been a while since he had had time to drive down to Narook’s for authentic Water Tribe food, and the meal combined with the familiar wooden carvings decorating the walls was creating a tugging feeling in his chest he knew, if followed, would lead him onto a ship headed south.

Nobuyuki finds himself drawn to where Oohira sits a few seats down, chuckling with Yahaba at something Semi is saying to Matsukawa. The pro-bending match had done the trick, Nobuyuki realizes as he looks around the table to see Shimizu sitting in peaceful companionship with Misaki, Yachi and Komori giggling and folding their napkins into hats to place on Hanamaki and Kunimi’s heads. Even Kyoutani is listening to Semi’s story - although, he’s nearly put his head into his bowl with how hard he’s pretending to ignore everyone.

Oohira laughs again and Nobuyuki’s eyes snap back to him, as they had been doing the entire evening. 

He had seemed so vibrant cheering under the arena lights - so different from when he was subdued at work in City Hall. Nobuyuki wanted to get to know every version of him - the Oohira that was driven by a burning optimism, the Oohira that lit up any room he was in, the Oohira that left anyone who talked to him feeling warmer for having met him. 

“Yahaba, what part of the Fire Nation are you from?” Oohira asks. Nobuyuki listens in.

Yahaba gives a startled laugh. “Oh, I’m not from the Fire Nation. I was born in Republic City.”

Oohira smiles apologetically. “Sorry, I assumed that-”

“Since I work for the Fire Nation representative, I would be from the Fire Nation?” Yahaba waves Oohira’s concerns away. “It’s fine. That’s what I would think, too.” 

“Shigeru was the most qualified applicant for the job,” Oikawa says into Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I didn’t care where he was from, as long as he worked hard.” 

Iwaizumi shushes him gently. “Take a nap now. I’m not carrying you home.”

“That’s really funny that you believe that,” Kunimi says.

Yahaba turns back to Oohira, blush fading from Oikawa’s praises. “Anyways, Kyoutani was actually born in the Fire Nation. Maybe you’re from the same area?”

Kyoutani remains hunched over his bowl, but his eyes flicker up to judge Oohira. He smiles patiently back, and Kyoutani straightens up, mumbling a response.

“Sorry, what was that?”

“Kirachu Island,” Kyoutani grunts. “That’s where I’m from.”

Oohira jerks forward excitedly. “Me, too! Oh, man, I haven’t talked to anyone from Kirachu since I graduated. Semi’s from-” he lowers his voice conspiratorially- _“Ember Island.”_

Kyoutani, now entranced by Oohira’s words, shakes his head in disgust.

“Oh, come on,” Semi says loudly. “Not this again. It’s been nine years-”

“You got a beach house?” Kyoutani asks.

Semi’s increasingly red face answers his question, and his protests of “it’s my _family’s_ beach house” are drowned out by the laughter of Kyoutani and Oohira.

“What’s it like in Kirachu?” Nobuyuki interrupts. He had never been to any island in the Fire Nation before and wanted to know more about the place Oohira grew up in.

Oohira and Kyoutani look at each other before saying in unison, “Spicy.”

“Wait, what?” Nobuyuki laughs.

“It’s what the island is known for,” Kyoutani says. “Spicy food.”

“Really, _really_ spicy food,” Oohira corrects. His eyes glaze over, his expression one of longing. “What I wouldn’t do for a superspicy soufflé right now.”

“Is that- is that a joke?” Matsukawa whispers to Semi. Semi smirks in response.

“So are you a good cook?” Nobuyuki asks. _Please say yes, please be perfect._

“No, that’s why I became an architect. All bad cooks are banished from the island,” he answers seriously.

Semi snorts. “He’s not _that_ bad. He’s better than me.”

“Low bar,” Oohira replies, high-fiving Matsukawa without breaking eye contact with Semi. The admiration in Kyoutani’s eyes grows.

“I can’t believe this,” Semi says, hiding his smile behind a forkful of noodles. “ _I_ was supposed to make friends with everyone, not you. Now you’re ganging up on me? I’ve been duped.”

“What are you talking about? We’re friends now, too,” Matsukawa says. Semi drops his fork in his bowl, splashing Matsukawa with the sauce. “Okay, so I take that back.”

“No! I mean- sorry,” Semi says, trying to clean Matsukawa’s shirt with his napkin. 

“It’s cool, man,” Matsukawa says. “Seriously. We’re cool.”

Hanamaki peers past Matsukawa to grin at Semi. “Ice cold!”

“That’s our thing,” Shimizu says, her smile sincere but small compared to the way Yachi beams at Semi. 

Semi makes eye contact with Oohira, who wears an expression of pride on his face, before glancing to the side. “Good. I accept your apologies.”

The table bursts into laughter, the lanterns lighting the room flickering in response to the sudden stirring of air. The golden luminescence enveloping the room, the familiar taste of home - Nobuyuki feels a warmth that reminds him of-

 _Oohira,_ Nobuyuki thinks as he catches him staring. Neither look away as the laughter dies down, the mood softer than the glow of the candles on the table.

The moment is broken by Oikawa sitting up, wiping his eyes blearily and smiling around the table.

“I’m from.....Capital City,” he slurs. Nobuyuki knows he hasn’t had anything to drink, but apparently tired Oikawa is the same as drunk Oikawa.

“No one asked, sweetheart,” Iwaizumi replies. Oikawa giggles in response.

“Iwa...have I ever told you...how _proud_ I am?” he asks.

“Are you bringing this up tomorrow, or can I?” Komori asks Nobuyuki seriously.

Nobuyuki tilts his head in consideration. “You can get this one. Just make sure I’m there to see his reaction.”

Iwaizumi lifts Oikawa out of his seat effortlessly. “I think it’s time for us to go. He’s been spending too much time at the office again.”

“Cool, cool, just let me get my stuff,” Hanamaki says, grabbing his hat and Matsukawa’s arm. 

Iwaizumi looks around, as if to make sure Hanamaki is talking to him. “Uh. Tooru, are they coming with us?”

Oikawa pats him on the arm in response, muttering the word “muscles” reverently.

“Okay,” Iwaizumi shrugs. “Guess we’re taking the train together.”

He hoists Oikawa up more securely, pointedly ignoring Kunimi’s smirk, before leading a nearly vibrating Hanamaki and Matsukawa out of the restaurant, the pair following closely behind like two polar bear dogs on a leash.

The others take their departure as a signal that the night is winding down, Komori yawning and stretching far enough back that Nobuyuki is concerned he’ll get stuck like that before popping up with a grin and saying his goodbyes. The group disperses into separate directions down the streets of Little Water Tribe, with promises to see each other at work or at another dinner, until it’s just Nobuyuki, Oohira, and Semi loitering outside of the restaurant. 

“You guys want to split a cab?” Nobuyuki asks. The train doesn’t stop near his apartment, and Oohira and Semi live close enough to him that it makes sense. 

Also, he likes Oohira. This was by far the most convincing reason for sharing a cab.

“Yeah, sure,” Oohira says, voice cracking oddly.

“Actually, I’m going to take the train with Hanamaki and Matsukawa,” Semi says quickly. Oohira’s smile freezes and he holds up a finger to Nobuyuki, signalling for him to wait, before slowly turning and whispering something to Semi.

“You know how I just love trains,” Semi announces loudly. “My favorite mode of transportation.”

“And Hanamaki and Matsukawa?” Oohira asks, the same stiff smile on his face.

Semi struggles to answer for a moment, mouth opening and closing wordlessly, before he grits out, “Yes, I lo- love Han- Hannnn- _HanamakiandMatsukawa.”_

“Well, I’m glad to see you got over whatever problems you had with them,” Oohira says, clapping Semi on the back hard enough to send him stumbling forward.

“Yeah, I’m going to catch up with them now. Can’t wait,” Semi says, backing away from Oohira. “You two have fun.”

“Sure thing,” Oohira says, coming to a stop a yard away from Nobuyuki. Semi jogs off into the night, turning to wave goodbye until he recoils at whatever expression he sees on Oohira’s face and breaks into a sprint.

Nobuyuki shakes his head in amusement and steps closer to Oohira, keeping an eye out for a cab. The wait is awkward, neither of them breaking the silence. He can sense Oohira looking at him, but he always tears his eyes away when Nobuyuki glances over.

When a cab finally arrives, they slide into the backseat together. Oohira looks out the window away from Nobuyuki, seeming incredibly interested in the street they had just walked down.

_Okay, that’s it._

“So what else did you do in Kirachu?” Nobuyuki asks. He can’t take any more of this silence.

Oohira thinks for a moment. “I spent a lot of time near the ocean, surprisingly - fishing, playing kuai ball, and, uh - collecting seashells?”

“How many do you have?” Nobuyuki says, holding in his laughter.

“Oh, I have no idea anymore - there are jars full of seashells back in my parents’ house.”

“You’ll have to show me them sometime,” Nobuyuki says offhandedly, feeling Oohira glance at him in surprise before relaxing again. They lean a little closer to each other.

“Do you ever miss home?” Nobuyuki asks quietly.

“I think the thing I miss the most is the smell,” Oohira says, smiling at Nobuyuki’s attempt to stifle a surprised laugh. “Seriously! Down at the harbor, it smelled like dead fish when the fishermen came back, but the smell meant that their ships had arrived safely and brought food with them. And then in the streets- oh man, the bakeries would make the whole island smell like fresh bread for the entire morning.”

They lapse into a tranquil silence, Oohira lost in the memories of his hometown, Nobuyuki lost in the wistful expression on his face.

“It doesn’t compare to Republic City, though,” Oohira says suddenly. “I’m glad to be here. I’m glad that I get to work on something that will be a part of this city forever.”

The cab reaches Nobuyuki’s stop too soon. He backs out of the cab after handing the fare to the driver, his eyes never leaving Oohira’s face.

“Good luck tomorrow,” he says.

“Thanks,” Oohira answers, leaning across the seat slightly.

Nobuyuki closes the cab door. “Have a good night.”

“You too,” Oohira says out of the open window, his eyes twinkling under the city lights. The car and Nobuyuki idle in the street, Nobuyuki running his teeth over his bottom lip. He places his hand on the car’s window, pinky finger just brushing Oohira’s. 

“I guess our plan worked. Everyone’s getting along now,” Nobuyuki says.

“We’ll see if it holds until tomorrow,” Oohira laughs. He looks up at Nobuyuki, leaning a little closer out of the window. “Thanks for your help.”

“It was no problem. I actually had a lot of fun.”

“We should do it again sometime.”

“Yeah. Maybe with a smaller group, though.”

“Mmm. A lot smaller.”

Neither can meet the other’s eyes.

Nobuyuki clears his throat, dragging his hand away and taking a step back. “So, uh, good luck tomorrow. Again. Not that you need it.”

“Thanks. Again. And we definitely do,” Oohira smiles, signalling that the driver can leave.

Nobuyuki waves as the cab pulls away, unsure if Oohira can still see him. 

“I know you guys can do it.”

* * *

“Ugh!” Semi yells into the table. “I can’t do it. This is awful.”

Hanamaki sighs, spinning incessantly in his chair. “Don’t write this next part down, Yachi, but I agree with Semi.”

Reon crumples up yet another apartment design, throwing it in the direction of the trash can. Without looking, he knows it won’t make it - it will only bounce off the pile of balled up paper that has accumulated over the past few days.

His plan to get the team on the same page really had worked - they all agreed that this was an _incredibly_ difficult task. 

After deciding to focus on designing an apartment building, there was no end to the flow of ideas, everyone building off of the previous suggestions. But no matter how many skyscrapers they churned out that were worthy of being placed at the center of any city, there was a lingering doubt in the back of everyone’s minds that it wasn’t _enough._

Semi continues to mutter something into the table that Reon feels too young to be overhearing. 

“Nothing we come up with _feels_ right,” Reon sighs. “It’s like- it’s not exciting. You know?”

Hanamaki stares at him. “It’s an apartment building. How exciting can it be.” He glares accusingly around the table. “Before I was so rudely shot down, I _suggested_ we add a pro-bending stadium to the-”

“But that’s the problem, isn’t it? If we keep working on a generic building, no matter what we do, it’s not going to be exciting or special. Because someone’s already done it before,” Shimizu admits.

“So we do it better,” Matsukawa says.

Reon hesitates. They’ve _been_ trying to design the best possible apartment building, but it had only gotten them this far. They can’t base their work on someone else’s idea, even if it’s been tried and tested. They need to build from the ground up.

“We could keep trying to build a better building. Or, we could do something new,” Reon offers quietly.

Yachi makes a small sound of frustration and looks down at her notes. “But we’ve been working on a design specifically tailored for an apartment building for _four days.”_

“And what does ‘something new’ even mean?” Matsukawa asks. “It sounds like you’re asking us to do something even harder than reinventing the wheel - _reinventing the building?”_

The room falls silent, everyone considering the implications of starting over. Reon watches as Taang and the other fish drift lazily in their tank, fins billowing with the slight movements of the water. 

Hanamaki follows his gaze and sighs. “It must be nice to be a fish. No pivotal, era-defining architecture projects hanging over your head. You don’t have to do anything but swim around and look pretty.”

Reon nods absentmindedly in agreement, then freezes. Semi notices him flinch and turns to him questioningly. 

“They don’t do anything,” Reon whispers. 

“Yeah, that’s what I just said,” Hanamaki responds, eyebrows raised.

“It doesn’t have to do anything,” Reon says again. He grabs Semi by the shoulders. _“It doesn’t have to do anything.”_

“Wh- what? What doesn’t have to do anything?” Semi splutters.

Hanamaki catches on with a gasp. “It doesn’t have to do anything!”

“It doesn’t have to do anything,” Matsukawa echoes. 

“It doesn’t have to do anything?” Yachi whispers. Shimizu’s eyes widen slightly.

 _“What are you all_ \- oh my god, it doesn’t have to do anything,” Semi finally understands, grabbing onto Reon’s forearms. 

It’s at this moment that Kai and Kuroo decide to check on their progress, Kuroo pushing open the door - and immediately turning around and walking out when he sees Hanamaki dancing on a chair and Yachi hugging the aquarium, cooing soft words to the fish.

“We officially broke them,” he tells Kai seriously.

“Should...should we go?” Kai asks as Kuroo tries to pull him towards the door. 

Reon forgets to release Semi as he turns to Kai so that they both spin to look at him. “The building doesn’t have to be a building!” 

“Hmmm. Okay. Okay. So, I’m going to need you to think back to what you just said-” Kuroo is now hiding behind the office door, eyeing the room full of overexcited benders warily and tugging on Kai’s sleeve. Kai stays to listen, tilting his head in an invitation for someone to explain.

“The Council said to design something that would be a symbol of harmony, right? We’ve been constricting ourselves by assuming it had to have some secondary purpose, like being an apartment or office,” Semi says in a rush. Shimizu and Yachi are pulling sheets of paper from their bags and passing them around the table as Hanamaki throws pencils at everyone, including Kuroo, who barely avoids getting hit in the face with one.

“We were bound by the rules of whatever we wanted the building to be, and it was making the job ridiculously difficult. But now, we can do whatever we want,” Matsukawa says as he begins scribbling. 

“That’s what this project- this city is about, right? Trying something that no one’s done before,” Reon yells over his shoulder as he speed walks to the other end of the table, yanking a sketchbook out of his bag and spilling several other items out of it in the process. He leaves them on the ground to run to Shimizu’s side, pointing out something excitedly in his notes.

Kai’s expression softens as he lingers in the doorway.

“Okay, _now_ we really should go,” Kuroo says, amusement in his tone. “They’ve got this under control.”

Reon sends them a grateful smile as they leave before Matsukawa yanks him down to look at his sketch.

Kai shakes his head and laughs as he makes the trek back to his office. Kuroo looks at him curiously.

“Told them they could do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for any form of feedback u give, including but not limited to kudos, comments, and cash payments made directly to my swiss bank account


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